Within Your Eyes
by cheshire-kitty
Summary: This story shows where Sarah's life has led her several years after she "defeated" the Labyrinth and its King. She is now a successful writer, but the loss of a friend forces her to re-examine her own life. The Goblin King, however, is faced with a tough decision when an unexpected visitor arrives with a proposal that he can hardly refuse.
1. Chapter 1

Within Your Eyes

( A Labyrinth Fan-Fiction)

Disclaimer: I do not own Labyrinth or any of its characters. If I did, the ending would have been much different. I do, however, claim full rights to Thanatos. *huggles Thanatos* Yep, this one is all mine! Now, enough of the legal stuff. I hope you enjoy chapter one

...

Sarah sat on her bed staring outside of the bay window adjacent to her. The gentle sprinkling of rain outside was the only sound that could be heard, and she seemed to be hypnotized by it. Her legs were drawn up to her chest with a soft, red throw wrapped around her. Sarah's hair cascaded down her shoulders, still damp from when she had gone out before, and her eyes looked like they had been glistening with tears.

Earlier that day it had happened, a phone call that is. The phone had rang and when answered there was static at first. "Hello? Hello is anyone there?" Sarah had repeated into the phone, and just whenever she was going to hang up, a voice answered.

"Hello, is this Sarah?" came the masculine voice on the other end.

"Yes it is. May I ask who's calling?"

"Excuse me. My name is Derik Cook. I'm Katrina Cook's brother."

"Katrina Cook's brother? So you're the one I heard so much about. I haven't heard from her in almost a year now." Katrina had become one of Sarah's closest friends in college after they had lived on the same floor as freshman. Their friendship only grew throughout the years and, while they didn't meet often, when they did they always celebrated.

"Hello, are you still there?"

"Yes, of course I am."

"I'm sorry, I've just been stressed lately," the voice was obviously straining and she heard weeping on the other side that she could only assume was Derik's. "I was going through her phone book when I found your number. I'm sorry to have to tell this to you over the phone, but she… she died yesterday. It was a," but the voice broke off into tears again.

Sarah's breath caught in her throat for a moment. It was only after several failed attempts to speak that she was finally able to croak out, "She died?" There was a longer pause before she got up the nerve to add the question she knew she'd have to ask, "How?"

After a moment Derik began to speak with a little more composure, "It was an accident. She was hit while walking home from a book store."

The two remained silent for quite some time before they finally managed to exchange all of the necessary information. Immediately after hanging up Sarah broke down into a stream of tears she didn't know was possible. Soon, though, she traded in her Kleenex for the phone and called her editor to explain that her next installment would be late.

Now she simply sat there on her bed. The rain wasn't letting up, but that comforted her to some degree. In her own poetic mind she reasoned that even nature wept at the loss of someone like Katrina. Again a tear began to run down her cheek, but she quickly brushed it away before lying down on her bed. Closing her eyes she tried to assure herself that tomorrow would be better, that Katrina was better off, and that, no matter what, she would get through this. Somewhere in the back of her mind, though, she couldn't help but despise every single cliché that was meant to comfort her in that moment.

Sleep came many tear soaked hours later. Discarded tissues were strewn across the otherwise immaculate room, and occasionally a sigh was made by the sleeping girl. Unbeknownst to her, though, someone was watching her. The short figure who stood in front of a cracked mirror in his room was hurting for his dear friend. The mirrors, they had learned, worked two ways. They could see her when they wished, and she could see them. While they never had understood it, Sir Didymus accredited it to Sarah's having beaten the Labyrinth.

Now Hoggle stood in front of the dilapidated mirror, his face wrought with confusion. He wanted to call out to his friend to have her explain what had happened, but he thought better of it. Somehow it seemed selfish to disturb her in that moment… after all, everyone was entitled to weep now and again without having to answer for it. Still, he couldn't help but feel ill at ease. Turning his back on the mirror it faded back to its simple reflecting form.

The light still shone in the Labyrinth and the sun beamed through the cracks in the dwarf's home. He had long since learned to think little of it as he had grown up there. Grabbing his fairy spray he walked out of the house after opening, then shutting, the door behind him. He had already had plans to see Ludo today, but in light of what he had seen he decided that it was perhaps best to tell Sir Didymus as well. No matter what anyone could call Hoggle, be it coward or even spineless, no one could ever accuse him of not being a good friend.

...

Sarah awoke the next day with a groan. Last night she fell asleep with the curtains open, and now she was paying for that mistake as the sun relentlessly beat upon her closed eyelids. Rolling over she cocooned herself in her blanket as if refusing to face the day. Then that obnoxious sound came again, a sound which she loathed at any time whenever she had just become comfortable again… a knock at the door.

A very unpleasant Sarah dragged herself out of bed and walked toward the door. She had never been a morning person, but this morning was especially awful. Her hair was in knots, her tank top and shorts were askew, and her eyes were still bloodshot from the infinite number of tears that had fallen from them. Not bothering to attempt to fix any of this she unlatched her lock and opened the door. On the other side was her editor, an older woman with two chai green teas in hand, "Well, I see you're as lovely as ever, Dear. Now, care to let an old woman in out of the cold?"

"It isn't cold, and you're only 32. Don't try using that one on me," was Sarah's reply as she stepped out of the doorway to let her annoyingly chipper visitor in.

The woman just let out a small chuckle at this and stepped inside. Compared to Sarah's disheveled appearance, this woman looked immaculate. Her short hair was styled to perfection complimenting her glasses, the button up purple shirt she wore was tailored, and the white slacks, while not being too tight, gave her a flattering silhouette. All of this was complimented most, though, by her smile. The woman seemed to truly be happy and whether Sarah was in the mood or not she even had to admit that it was somewhat catchy.

"I can see you're as lively as ever. It's already 10:30, how can you still be in bed?"

"Kim, not all of us are morning people. Now, do you care to tell me why you came here? I already called you about my next deadline. It will be a little late but…"

Kim just shook her head and thrust the extra tea at Sarah, "It isn't about work and you know it. I came to see how you were. I worry about you after all. I don't even know how I'd feel if I were in your position but I would at least want someone to be there with me. Besides, you live here all alone, so I knew that you could deal with some company." The slight pout that came at the end of this sentence was quite characteristic of the woman. It didn't seem to matter how old she was, Kim knew exactly how to manipulate people, even if she had to resort to a child's defenses.

Taking a drink of her tea Sarah just smiled weakly, "Thank you."

"Don't go thanking me. Sweet, sweet Thomas paid for it," A devilish glint went through Kim's eyes, "He just doesn't know it yet."

Sarah let out a laugh at the thought. Thomas was Kim's husband, and he was constantly complaining about how she got in his spare change jar. She could just imagine him raging on about it later on with the same pattern as usual. It wouldn't last long, though, since Kim would placate him with one of her patented looks that no person was able to be angry with.

"One of these days that man is going to figure out how to resist your trickery."

"Yes, but thankfully that isn't today," laughter filled the room after that.

The two stayed talking for awhile and Sarah cried at moments for no reason. Kim refused to leave until she was sure Sarah would be alright. Finally the two made plans to go order flowers and get clothes for Sarah to wear to the funeral. Kim kept offering to go with her but that favor Sarah refused. In her own mind Sarah was saying goodbye to a dear friend, and even if that friend couldn't hear her, she wanted to see her friend off as she did the last time she saw her months before; by herself.

The day of the funeral was one of the hardest of Sarah's life, and nothing could have prepared her. While the futile tears streamed down her cheeks she watched, with her hazed eyes, as a delicately engraved wooden casket was lowered into the unfeeling ground. Unfeeling... what an inadequate word to describe nature itself at the moment. As one of the most perfect creatures Sarah had ever known was lost forever the blue sky filled with the cheerful sounds of birds perched not far away. It was at that very moment that she realized how selfish her tears were. They were not for her friend whom she knew would find Heaven, but rather herself who would never again feel the warmth of her friend's words and friendship.

...

After the burial Sarah excused herself from any further activities with the others who mourned. Her mind was a blank and she cared not to fill it with the images of another's grief. Yes, it was selfish, but she didn't care.

Staring out the window of the cab she observed the passing scenery. Tree, sign, house, repeat again and again. The rank smell of the interior stung her nose and she wondered if this was a public toilet rather than an automobile. The man driving looked to be in his late fifties, and according to his silence she could tell he was a generous man. Conversation was not something she longed for currently.

It was not long before she arrived at her destination, a small section of buildings and to the far right, a quaint cafe. After paying the driver Sarah stepped out and shut the door behind her. The sound of her heels clicked on the stone road, and her flowing black dress sharply contrasted the more vibrant colors of others passing by. Click, click, click… her shoes kept beating steadily on the ground in a way that her heart couldn't. Her pulse was erratic, and while she was trying to keep her composure she was barely holding it all together. In front of the café she noticed that they had replaced the old sign. It wasn't odd when she thought about it. The last time her and her friend had been here they had joked with the owner about how it looked as though it would fall apart one day. The new sign was marvelous to say the least. The wood was polished with an intricate outline of a rosebush framing it. Inside was the name, "Owl's Nest" and underneath of it was a burnt image of a barn owl. Reaching out she touched it before passing. "It seems everything is changing these days," Sarah said with a sigh.

...

"What troublest thou, Sir Hoggle?" Sir Didymus asked as he dismounted from his trusty steed. Walking toward Hoggle, and the towering figure of Ludo, the brave knight waved his staff, "If it be some menace then we shall beat them off!"

Hoggle rolled his eyes at the display of the fox, secretly wondering why it was that they were friends. The dwarf was calm in comparison, but even he had to admit that his loud friend often said things that he wished he had the courage to voice aloud. Ludo, the friend of the rocks, was also there. The larger creature stood behind the two and let out a groan, "Sarah… trouble." Shaking his head, his long ears flopped at the sides of his face, and one who had known him long enough could tell by the weary look in his eyes that he was upset.

"Trouble? What trouble has befallen M'Lady?" The fox placed a hand on his hip as the other held up his staff, "If it be some foul oppression we are honor bound to protect her. Come now, dear friends, what can be done?"

Here Hoggle stepped in, unwilling to allow the antics to continue further. "Ahh, now just stop with yer' showins'. That isn't what's got the little lady so upset, so just stop that foolishness. I don't know what's wrong, but the other day when I spied her through my mirra she was cryin'." Hoggle turned his head having finished his statement. He knew the look that would be in the eyes of both of his friends at this point. They had kept in as good of touch with Sarah after the Labyrinth as they could, but there was much that made it difficult. Life, obligations, growing up… things simply changed. Be that as it may the three of them felt responsible for their friend's tears, even if all they could do was soothe them away.

"Sarah… sad."

...

"To what do I owe the true honor of your visit, Uncle?" Jareth asked while lounging on his thrown with a grace that only predators seemed to possess. His words, while sweet, lacked sincerity when uttered. Rather, they seemed to be part of a well rehearsed play. That, however, would not be entirely far from the truth.

"Why, Nephew, can I not merely visit for the sake of seeing you?" replied the man almost innocently.

"If it were anyone else I might believe it," Jareth answered as he tapped his riding crop on his boot. "With you, however, it has never been the case. Not in two centuries have you stopped here, so forgive me if I am curious."

"Ahh, correct as always. I do have something to discuss with you." After saying that much the man took a step forward so that he could better address his throwned nephew. Family they may be, but proper respects had to be paid given the situation. "I have come to ask a favor of the Goblin King. I wish for a gift that only you can provide me with."

Jareth's eyebrows rose minutely as he looked over the previously forgotten relative. It appeared that time had changed him, though perhaps that was merely due to the rust of memories. Before him stood his uncle (several times 'great' uncle, though it was considered rude in the underground to address one's age) with all the stature of royal bearing. His raven black hair hung in a thick braid down to his knees, and his striking crimson eyes held a sincerity that few in either realm possessed. His skin was paler than most, though his appearance held a healthy glow all the same. It was all covered, however, in luxurious robes of the darkest green and trimmed in gold. The man looked truly noble, but there was one thing that set him apart from the Goblin King. This man's ears held a point at the end, a sign of fairy blood tainted with something else. True, the sidhe were fairies, but those in the seelie or unseelie court possessed rounded ears to mark them as purebloods if they were so. His Uncle, however, had a slight tainting in his blood from something Jareth could never quite place. Asking, however, would have been too taboo.

"Very well then, Thanatos," answered Jareth using merely one of the names that mankind had bestowed upon him through the years. "What would the Cu Sith ask of me?"

...

"May I get you anything to drink, Miss?"

Sarah looked up at the middle aged woman who had served her so many times in the past. She smiled lightly, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Yes, please. May I have a cappuccino?"

The silver haired woman nodded with a grin, "Of course you can. I'll be right back with that."

Sarah watched as the woman shuffled off toward the counter. It seemed the waitress had an instinct about people. She knew when they wanted to chat, and she knew when they wanted silence. Never did she push either way. It didn't take a genius, however, to figure out which one Sarah would have preferred given both her attire and her pained expression.

While Sarah was lost in her musings the waitress brought back her drink and set it down gently. "There you go, Miss. Anything else?"

"No. Thank you very much." Bringing the cup to her lips she blew gently before taking a drink. As she lowered it she gave an appreciative grin, "It's delicious. Thank you."

"No problem." The elder woman started to turn, but then redirected her gaze back to Sarah. It seemed that the normal rule didn't apply today, "Forgive me for asking, but why that drink? You always order tea, but your friend..."

"Couldn't make it today I'm afraid. I thought I'd have one for her," came the shy reply as the brunette gave the waitress a grin once again. "A little strange of me, but I thought it a nice gesture."

"I see. Sorry for asking," answered the waitress as she shuffled back toward the counter. Sadly, she understood very quickly what Sarah had meant by 'couldn't make it.' It pained her in a small way, but if the look on that woman's face was any indication as to how she felt then the waitress would leave it at that.

...

Several hours later Sarah sat at home in front of her mirror staring at her reflection. Why her? Why had Katrina died, and why had she lived? Why hadn't the driver been five minutes late or early that day so they could have missed one another entirely? Why, what if, if only… they all began to bleed together. These thoughts receded, however, once the mirror began to shift. The reflective surface began to ripple, radiating from the center outward. Finally it became clear allowing Sarah to see the other side.

Rather than the ones Sarah had been expecting, she saw a stranger. It seemed that he couldn't see her as he sat on a bed in an elaborate room. What caught her most were his gorgeous scarlet eyes as he stared at the fireplace in front of him. He seemed so… lost. Just as she began to consider calling out to him she saw his shadow cast upon the wall and noticed an irregularity. That was no human shadow, but one that more closely resembled a hound. What had… but the mirror shifted back to its usual state as a deep, heart rending howl ripped through the room.

...

Jareth sat on the windowsill of his thrown room and stared out at his kingdom. All was silent, which was unusual. He had needed to think, however, and goblins tended to be rambunctious creatures by nature. He had only gotten complete compliance after sending two straight to the bog of eternal stench.

Mismatched eyes scanned the kingdom below, though he truly saw nothing. His mind was too busy to even process the scene before him. No, he was much too busy thinking of all he had learned from Thanatos. He still couldn't figure out why his uncle had contacted him over the matter. Why even bother?

Despite his childish denial, Jareth knew. Thanatos could go to no other. Part of being a Cu Sith was fulfilling the role of what humans so crudely referred to as "The Grim Reaper." That element of death gave him a lowly bearing that led him to be an untouchable even among the Unseelie Court.

Jareth relaxed his head back against the stone of the windowsill and closed his eyes as he remembered all that he had learned from his relative. What he asked for… was it really too much? In exchange for what he could gain in return it seemed small, but things were never so simple. He already knew his answer, however, and that irritated him more than anything. That he still made decisions based off of emotions rather than rationality annoyed him. Kings were never meant to be so foolish, but even kings were men, and men had hearts that loved.

...

Ludo sat before the mirror in the room tapping it with his large fingers as a curious child would have. As he did this, Hoggle paced the floor and Sir Didymus sat in a chair staring hard at the wooden table. "What be the problem? We ain't never been unable ta contact Sarah before!" Hoggle cried in frustration as he kicked at the ground only to stub his foot on the table leg in the process.

"Perhaps the lady has covered her mirrors, Hoggle. I once heard a tale of humans doing such strange things to help keep the souls of those lost from being trapped inside mirrors. Or… was it to keep them there. Blast, it has been so long since I heard that story. It was when I was still posted with the…"

"Oh, shut it!" Hoggle yelled bringing Sir Didymus' musings to an end. "Even if she had covered it we'd a still been able ta see the sheet!" Sitting down on a trunk by the wall Hoggle rubbed his now sore foot to try to soothe the pain away. "Face it, ain't no way ta explain it 'cept magic."

Sir Didymus stuttered in anger for a minute before finally collecting himself, "Surely, Hoggle, you do not mean to suggest that King Jareth has anything to do with this? Why, the mere idea of it is preposterous! His Majesty has been nothing but forgiving. Even after we sided with Lady Sarah to oppose him he did not punish us for our treason."

Hoggle hated to admit it, but Sir Didymus was right. It only made sense, though, that it had to be Jareth. "Well, ya know anyone else in the kingdom who gots magic enough to do it? Hmmm?"

The fox made a move to reply, but thought better of it. Truthfully, he knew of no one. Still, there had to be some explanation. This had never happened before, but he still clung to the innocence of his king.

Ludo, who had been stuck in his own world until that very moment, turned to the other two and thumbed toward the mirror. "Mirra busy."

"Busy? Busy? The mirras ain't never busy. Besides, who'd be talkin' to her from here? Ohhhhh, I'm done tryin' to figure it out. Let's try again later."

...

The first thing Sarah felt when she woke up was pain. Her lower back was killing her. Her neck responded by throbbing with the slightest movement, and there was already the onset of a headache that demanded a Tylenol immediately. As she opened her eyes to figure out why this was it all became clear when all she saw was wood. "Dammit," she muttered to herself realizing that she had fallen asleep at her vanity table.

Sitting up took effort, but it had to be done. She had the sudden need to move, to be active. Sarah couldn't keep sitting around waiting for a mirror to give her answers. No, if she wanted answers she would have to look where she always had. With that thought in mind Sarah got up and walked to her kitchen. Opening one of her cupboards she felt around until her hand clasped cool glass. Satisfied she pulled it down and put the cup under the now running water. After shutting it off she had one thought in mind, "Tylenol… Tylenol… where did I put it?" After placing her cup on the counter Sarah began rummaging around. One of the downfalls of living alone was that you could never blame someone else when you lost your stuff.

Thirty minutes later Sarah had taken her pills (which she found in the medicine cabinet, the last place she'd thought to look) and sat down with a cream cheese covered bagel. Her laptop was lying across her legs as her fingers flew trying to keep up with her mind. This was her coping mechanism. Finding words to hide behind and then ripping them apart to find what was really going on. She doubted her readers could ever tell the difference, but Kim always could. Somehow her stories were always colored by her life in one way or another. Pain, happiness and even boredom were all muses in their own right. One merely needed to listen to them to find out how to mold their craft.

Sarah continued "coping" for several days. She'd wake up, shower, eat whatever she had in the fridge or order out, write, and repeat. On the third day of seclusion Kim came to check on her in person after several ignored phone calls. What she saw, though, was an oddly comforting sight. Sarah, like many of her authors, would lock themselves away while they wrote. It was much better to see that the silence on Sarah's end those last few days had been due to inspiration rather than crippling depression. After a week and a half, though, Kim finally had enough.

"Sarah! Close that bloody laptop so we can go do something fun. I'm sick of this house. You haven't even decorated it since you moved in."

Sarah ignored the whining woman as she continued typing. She was close to a break through. She was almost there… "Sarrrrraaaaaahhhhh," the woman continued to moan until finally she couldn't take it any longer.

"What is it, Kim? Aren't you supposed to be glad that I'm writing so much? At this rate you'll have it done well before the deadline."

Kim was beaming at this. Sure, Sarah wasn't being pleasant, but talking was an improvement. "Yes, but I would prefer an author on my watch to not become a hermit. I've heard dreadful stories from Darcy about some of the kooks he has had to work with throughout the years. Did you know once he had to climb into a window because he thought one of his authors had died?"

Sarah paused and looked up. She hated that Kim knew just how to bait her in order to make her snap back into reality. Sadly, imagining Mr. Darcy crawling into a window was distracting. Of course, Sarah was imaging dear Mr. Darcy from Austin's books as opposed to the now bedraggled, balding, perverted Darcy at the agency. "Foul play," she mumbled as she saved her work and closed her computer.

For her part, Kim merely clapped her hands and stood up with a smile. "It isn't my fault you've read that book too many times, Sarah. Maybe if you ever went out into the real world you'd meet your own Mr. Darcy." Without missing a beat Kim slipped on her jacket and grabbed one of Sarah's from the coat rack. "Now, come on. We're going to go do something that just might help with that."

Sarah let out a huff of air as the trench coat hit her dead in the face. It had really been her fault for not paying attention. Still, she couldn't help but glare at Kim as if she were entirely to blame. "I don't like the sounds of this, Kim. I'm mourning. I'm writing. I'm…"

"Wasting away and losing any hint of having ever seen the light of day judging by that complexion," Kim interrupted as she walked over to the door. "Now, are you coming or shall I have to drag you?"

Grumbling Sarah placed her laptop aside, slipped on her jacket and walked out the door still in her 'lazy clothes'. "Just for the record, Kim, I like being pale."

"Yes, well so did Casper, but at least he had a social life," Kim quipped before she shut Sarah's door and locked it.

...

End of Chapter 1! Thank you for reading chapter one of my story. I hope that you enjoyed it. Please post any comments, critiques, questions, etc. Below.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Labyrinth or any of its characters. Why must I acknowledge that I have no justifiable claim to Jareth before every chapter? That being said, I do claim full rights to Thanatos. *huggles Thanatos* This one is all mine, so please don't spirit him away from me. Now, enough with the legal disclaimers. I hope that you enjoy chapter two.

…

Three crystal balls twirled effortlessly in gloved hands as a fourth balanced atop them. Gently, Jareth plucked one of the transparent orbs from the rest before watching it float into the air. The Labyrinth had a new runner, and the Goblin King had found it difficult to restrain himself from sending "The Cleaners" after them upon their very arrival. The child they had so recklessly wished away was still quite small, but it had clearly suffered more than many did in their entire lives. Jareth had learned many things while sitting upon his thrown, but perhaps the most important thing was that the true monsters were not the residents of the Labyrinth. No, the monsters were many times the very people who tried in vain to reclaim what they believed to be theirs'. There were, however, some exceptions… or rather just one.

A child's cry quickly drew him from his thoughts. Looking over he found that Shriek was already tending to the infant. Shriek was tall by goblin standards as she stood at all of 3 feet. She was also believed to be a great beauty he was told. After all, not many females of any race could boast of having a hunchback, drooping ears, thinning hair, and a goiter the size of a crystal ball on their left cheek. Yes, she'd broken the heart of many a hopeful suitor. None of that, however, mattered to Jareth. No, all he cared about was that she was the only creature in his employ that seemed to have a natural ability to care for the children.

"Thur, thur," she said as she tried to soothe the child with her cracking voice. "Tha whole ting'll be ober soon enuff."

Almost on cue the baby quieted as it began to lean into her drab, tattered dress. Jareth merely watched the exchange. It never ceased to surprise him how trusting the babes could be after what they endured. Slowly he walked toward the duo while still twirling his orbs. "It seems the infant is quite taken with you, Shriek. " Looking down at the bundle he could tell that the child had already begun 'the change'. At first he'd had qualms about the children becoming goblins. It was only with experience that he'd begun to see it as a mercy. Many of the children wished away were victims in the truest sense of the word. Had they remained in their original forms they may never have been able to truly recover from their wounds, be they emotional or physical. It was a lucky coincidence the pain, the memories and and hurt faded with "the change".

Looking at the looming time piece Jareth could clearly see that there was just under half an hour left for the runner now. They'd never make it to the castle in time. They hadn't even made it past the fieries yet. "I have a question for you, Shriek. Would you care to take in the child after it finishes its transformation?"

Grey eyes looked up at the King seemingly stunned. She clutched the child closer as she seemed to regard the offer. She'd been taking care of the Changelings for longer than she could remember, but Shriek could not think of a single time when the King had allowed one of them outside of the castle walls until they'd been transformed for at least 4 moon cycles. 'D'ya mean it, Suhr?"

Something resembling a smile lit up his face as he gave a nod, "I believe you've proven yourself, Shriek. If you like you can even name him yourself."

For her part, Shriek was nearly in tears. She'd always dreamed of having her own child to care for. Someone to teach to drool properly, toss chickens, play with fire, and everything else that made being a goblin worthwhile. Goblins, however, rarely had offspring. After all, when the commonly held belief was that sacrificing an entire cabbage patch led to the coming of the Great Stork who brought you a child, well, needless to say that population control wasn't much of an issue. There was, however, a frightening shortage of cabbage for the past century.

"Belch!" she cried happily as held up the child to get a closer look at it. "Belch is a fahmly name."

Jareth merely nodded and patted the youngster on the head with his free hand. "It's a fine name, Shriek. Absolutely repulsive. No goblin could ask for better." And with that he faded the remaining crystals into nothingness. The job was done. He could feel that the runner had finally given up. All that remained now was for him to send them back to the Aboveground. "Go ahead and take him with you then, Shriek. Take anything from the Changeling Room that you might need, as well."

Without waiting for a reply, Jareth seemed to collapse before re-emerging from his falling clothes as a beautiful barn owl. Off he raced toward his duties, though he had much left to do after ridding the Underground of this pest. He'd managed to keep one Changeling from the castle while his guest was present, but if there were more runners it would begin to prove challenging. He couldn't wait much longer to give Thanatos his answer, and he didn't trust another goblin this side of Banshee Holler to care for a Changeling on their own.

…

The blaring bass overtook the building as the DJ transitioned into another remix of something Sarah couldn't quite identify. It wasn't that she didn't keep up with music. Rather, the music was drowned out by seemingly half the club screaming to be heard by the bartender. She was at least amused by some of the drinks she was hearing shouted out. Really, who named those things? Her amusement was quickly interrupted, however, whenever someone bumped into her with a force that made her wonder if a drunken bear hadn't just tried to maul her. Righting herself she reached up to massage where her arm had been driven into the table. It was definitely going to bruise. Glancing over her shoulder she saw that the owner was about as charming as his introduction. His chestnut hair was drenched, he wreaked of cheap alcohol, and he was currently dripping sweat on her shoulder.

The man creature opened his mouth to speak, but no words could be heard as the beat shifted once again. She shook her head and pointed to her ear to indicate that she couldn't hear him. Sarah was quickly made to regret that decision as he seemed to take it as an invitation to lean into her and shout into her ear.

"I'm Ted," came the booming introduction. "Wanna dance?" She regarded him momentarily as she took notice of his popped collared polo. Hadn't that trend died out when she was still in college?

Before she could respond, though, the cavalry came to her rescue in the form of Kim. The woman stood up on her tip toes as she cupped her hand and shouted to be heard by Ted. Sarah couldn't hear what she was saying, but judging by the look on his face after Kim pulled away she had her suspicions. The man stared down at Kim and then Sarah with a mix of confusion and curiosity before shaking his head and walking off.

"It seems you've still got it, Miss Williams. Your clothes look like hell and yet you're still the belle of the ball," Kim said, or rather yelled, into Sarah's ear.

Sarah merely shot the woman a glare. Really, did she need to point out the clothes? It was Kim, after all, who had dragged her out of her comfortable apartment in her bedraggled attire and insisted that they go out. "And who is to blame for that?" came the retort.

Kim merely smiled and gave a signature wink, "Guilty as charged. Now come on, you're going to have fun whether you like it or not. Mr. Darcy here we come!" Before Sarah could protest, her editor pulled her from her stool and dragged her toward the dance floor.

…

It was several hours and innumerable drinks later whenever Sarah returned to her apartment. She'd managed a shower, but beyond that she had little energy for anything else. As much as it pained her to admit it, Kim had been right. She'd needed out and to be among other living beings. It was only now that her mind had time to wander once again that the young woman began to feel a pang of loneliness. Yes, her friend was gone, but Sarah was still very much alive. The only true affection she ever felt in her life was from her friends and family. She'd been in relationships and had at different points believed she was in love. No man ever seemed to stick, however, and in hind sight she found that it was lust, necessity, security or some other force that made her stay for however long she did. Never had it been love. No, the closest she had ever come to that was in her girlhood when she'd believed herself to be enamored with a King from a magical realm that had long since faded from her reach.

Her gaze turned to her bookshelf as she searched for a familiar text. She had initially hidden away so many of the things that reminded her of the Labyrinth, but nostalgia had resurrected them into her possession once again. Chief among them was a play she had often read through as a teenager. She no longer pretended to be the heroine. No, that was unnecessary. She had, after all, become the heroine. After that pretending was a cheap and hollow sham. Nevertheless, those once vibrant memories of her quest had begun to rust through the years. Steady steps took her toward the numerous works on the shelf and her fingers reached out to pull a red book from among them. She delicately ran her fingers across the beautiful border and the golden text that simply read, "The Labyrinth."

Unbeknownst to Sarah was the heart shaped face of a feathered animal who was watching her every movement. Upon closer inspection one could clearly see it was a barn owl, though that was hardly the true form of the creature. Vaguely it blinked its eyes before jumping from its perch and into the wind. He'd been right, and there was still much to be done.

…

Thanatos turned down the twisting halls of the castle. Had it not been for his keen memory he might have been lost. Death, however, came to all living beings, and sometimes in the strangest of places. Through the innumerable years he'd been "The Reaper" he'd visited nearly every place worth, or not worth, visiting. The Labyrinth had been no exception to that rule. It was by sheer luck that he so naturally recalled his way around places where he had worked. All of these internal musings were pushed aside, however, as Thanatos pulled himself back to the present. He knew Jareth would send for him eventually. What he had not realized was how long he'd be kept waiting. It had been nearly a fortnight since he'd arrived and he found that even the patience of Death was being tested.

Scarlet eyes scanned the stone passages as the wave of filth hit his nose. Sure enough, directly down the hall was the thrown room. Why Jareth allowed his goblins to roam around it with reckless abandon he'd never know. Thanatos' long robes dragged the ground as he moved to turn in a diverging direction. He may be impatient to receive a response, but he was not reckless enough to attempt to force Jareth's hand further. No, doing so would hardly be judicious. As he reached out to push open a door, however, he was stopped by a shrill voice.

"Tha Magestry wishes ta speak wich you, Suhr."

Looking down Thanatos regarded the squat, purplish creature. In spite of its bulbous nose and protruding ears, he clearly noted the crest of the Goblin Kingdom on its chest plate. This was not a mere subject, but rather one of Jareth's personal guard. It seemed that his nephew was actually starting to take his offer seriously then. Bowing his head slightly he responded, "Of course. Please lead the way."

With that goblin nodded with a grunt before turning and shuffling down the hall with all the authority that it could muster. For his part, Thanatos merely followed. Soon he'd have his answer. If his suspicions were correct, then things were about to become very interesting.

…

That's all for chapter two. Thank you very much for reading it, and I hope that you've enjoyed it thus far. This chapter is mainly being used to set the stage for things to come, and from the next chapter on I believe you'll be pleased to see the interactions between characters increase.

I also wanted to thank MusicOverMatter, Notwritten and Rosaleal for reviewing chapter one. I don't know that I'd have written this chapter as quickly had it not been for you three. Also, in response to a question posed, this story is going to be centered around Jareth and Sarah. This story is, after all, a romance/fantasy. That being said, Thanatos, Shriek and others to come are not ones to ignore.

I hope you all come back for chapter 3!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I still do not own Labyrinth or any of its characters. I do, however, have a fair amount of merchandise from the franchise. What? That doesn't count? *le sigh* Oh well. That being said, I do claim full rights to Thanatos. *turns into a chibi and jumps on Thanatos' shoulder* This one is all mine, so please don't try to steal him away. Now, enough with the legal disclaimers. I hope that you enjoy chapter three!

Note: I realized, thanks to a wonderful reader, that I had made a mistake with a name. I tried to go back and edit it, but for some reason the edit wouldn't post. I tried doing what I could to replace it, but in the end all I could do successfully was delete the chapter and post a new one. I apologize if this ended up spamming anyone's inboxes with updates or inconveniencing anyone in the slightest. I'll try to make sure this doesn't happen again in teh future.

…

Sarah awoke at the sound of a small thud. Startled she felt her pulse race as she looked around desperate to figure out what was wrong. Gazing down she saw a red tome on the floor and suddenly it all clicked. "I guess I fell asleep while reading," she murmured as she began to try to relax the fists she hadn't realized she'd made.

Still looking down at the book, she wondered what it had been that drove her toward it. Reaching down she picked it up and noted how soft it still was to the touch. There were certain things that one needed in order to feel home. She'd never admit it, but this was a piece of that for her. After a few moments she placed the volume on a table before standing and walking toward her dresser mirror with purpose. Standing in front of it she noted her appearance and made a quick attempt to fix her hair. It seemed that her night's excursions had caused her otherwise sleek tresses to rebel. Somewhat satisfied, she sat down and peered into the depths of the mirror. At first nothing happened. The longer she looked, however, the more she could begin to see the edges of the mirror begin to waver. Within the minute the entire reflection seemed to be waving until it finally gave way to the steady image of a wall of mounted weaponry. One could easily tell that the numerous swords, spears, and bows were aged and fallen into general disrepair. Not a single one of them, however, had a speck of dust on them. It seemed her friend still took as much pride in his collection as ever.

"Sir Didymus?" she called before waiting for a reply. After a few moments passed she parted her lips to call again, but was cut off by a loud crash of what sounded to be metal against stone. All that was heard then was a small growl and a yip before Sir Didymus appeared in front of the mirror wearing a slightly askew, silver war helmet with a half closed visor. He reached up and struggled with it for a few seconds before it finally popped off.

Helmet now under control, the small soldier tucked it under his arm and bowed to the reflection in front of him. "Ah, M'Lady. It is an honor to be in your presence once again. To what do I owe the honor?"

The brunette had to work hard to contain her laughter. Her friend's hat was now entirely awry and his signature yellow feather seemed the worse for wear. She knew better than to say anything, however, as her friend was quite sensitive about appearances and always strove to be the example of all a true Knight of the Labyrinth should be. "You know you don't have to call me that, Sir Didymus, and it's hardly an honor. I just missed you and the others. Tell me, how are you all doing?"

The small knight seemed to grow in size as he took in her words. To be missed by someone he held in such regard, and the only champion of the Labyrinth, was indeed something to be proud of. "We are all doing quite well, Lady Sarah. My brother, Sir Ludo, has been singing and communing with the rocks as of late. We've nearly restored the bridge over the bog to its previous grandeur. If he could but cease to complain of the stench, which I assure you is nonexistent, it would already be complete. As for Hoggle, he has been out tirelessly protecting the Labyrinth from those foul fairies."

"I'm glad to hear it," she answered with a wide grin. It was funny, she noted, how you never realize how much you miss someone until you are speaking with them again. They continued on with their conversation going back and forth for nearly an hour. It was only when the conversation was ready to wrap up that she was caught off guard by a simple question.

"Forgive my intrusion, Lady Sarah, but has some tragedy befallen you? If something troublest thou, then know that myself and the rest of our brave troupe will be there to aid you with all the swiftness of Ambrosius' paws."

Sarah was somewhat shocked by his sudden question and declaration. "What do you mean, Sir Didymus?"

He hesitated for a second, but then replied, "Sir Hoggle said he saw you… crying, Lady Sarah. But," for a rare moment it seemed even her wordy friend was at a loss for what to say.

Sarah shook her head. She should have known they'd find her out. Somehow they always did. They'd been there for her through every heartache. It seemed that they'd been there for her even through her most recent tragedy, even if she hadn't known it. A tear began its slow descent down her cheek. These tears, however, were due to happiness. She was simply so overwhelmed by how lucky she was to have such wonderful friends in her life. "I hope I didn't worry any of you," she began before telling him the entire story.

…

Thanatos' robes dragged the ground of the throne room's stone floor. This would not have normally bothered anyone, but the goblins in attendance seemed to resent even a minor trail of "cleanliness" in their otherwise perfectly filthy castle. Those who did not know him shot him glares, but when they felt his crimson gaze fall upon them they quickly shrunk back to hide behind the nearest chicken.

To his credit, the small soldier in front of Thanatos continued on with steady steps. There was the clear clak, clak, clak as his armored shoes ground against the stone floor. Apparently stealth was not a priority for one of the Goblin King's personal guard. This would not have irritated the cu sidhe nearly so much if his hearing weren't so keen. Thankfully, the clanging came to an abrupt stop. Looking down, Thanatos could see the soldier standing at attention before his King.

"You are dismissed," Jareth said as he nonchalantly waved the soldier away. Much to his guest's annoyance the guard did so by jogging out of the room. "You'll have to forgive them, Uncle. They are loyal to a fault, but I'm afraid that goblins aren't known for their silence."

Thanatos looked at the impetuous, blonde King while resisting the urge to twitch his ears. Jareth knew full well how sensitive his hearing was, and he was beginning to think that the small inconvenience had been intentionally planned. "I hardly noticed, Nephew."

Mismatched eyes bore into crimson as Jareth seemed to take stock of the sidhe in front of him. His gloved fingers tapped absentmindedly upon the arm of his throne before they stopped suddenly. "You came to me with a proposition earlier, Thanatos. What I am curious about is your motivation."

In spite of the accusing eyes that relentlessly met his own, the ebony haired fae answered cooly, "My 'motivation', as you call it, is simple. I wish for an official title within the Goblin Kingdom, as well as a recognized alliance."

"You do, of course, realize that the Goblin Kingdom is not held in the highest of esteem."

"I recognize that, Goblin King. It has hardly escaped my notice through the centuries."

Jareth began tapping his fingers yet again. Thanatos was plotting something, but what he didn't know. "Tell me, why would the Grim Reaper wish for a title within the Goblin Kingdom?"

"I do not believe that it is any of your concern, Jareth," he replied while intentionally dropping the formal title. For Jareth to have called him by that name was an insult in the most serious sense of the word. He could not deny that he was Death incarnate, but he was also one of the strongest fae in existence. After all, Death came for everyone and everything eventually… and even the courts were not safe from him.

The Goblin King arched an eyebrow. It seemed he was getting under his uncle's skin, but he knew better than to push any further. To do so would be dangerous in more ways than one. "Very well. Your motivation isn't my concern, but what is my concern is the safety of this Labyrinth. If I were…"

Thanatos quickly cut off any further argument, "But what no one knew is that the king of the goblins had fallen in love with the girl, and he had given her certain powers."

Jareth remained silent for a moment and made no attempt to hide his anger. "What did you say?"

"I believe you heard me quite clearly. It's true then? I must say that it was quite reckless of you to give a mere human any powers over your kingdom. Tell me, if she were to be collected by the "Reaper", as you so crudely called me, what would happen to your kingdom and its inhabitants?"

Jareth clenched his hands into fists and fought to remain in control of himself. He had already known that Thanatos' offer involved Sarah, but to hear it put in such a way was quickly unraveling his patience. "You are implying that the kingdom cannot survive after such a loss?"

"No, Goblin King. I am stating that it cannot."

Jareth wished he could deny the claim, but in reality even he was unsure. It had been impetuous of him to have given Sarah such a gift, but he'd been as weak to love's charms as any other being who could truly feel would have been. "Then you mean to let her live indefinitely?"

Thanatos shook his head which made his long braid swing back and forth before it finally slid to a stop. "No one can live forever, Goblin King. Even the fae may live for thousands of years, but eventually their lives begin to flicker. What I mean to do is to delay the process."

"Explain," came the sharp response.

His robes rustled again as Thanatos began to walk across the unfeeling stones of the room. "Her death is nearly at hand. That is inevitable and neither you nor I can change that. Even if I were to refuse to collect her, then her soul would be stuck rotting away in a hollow shell no longer capable of maintaining it."

Jareth stood suddenly and stalked over to the Cu Sidhe, "Then how can you even be of service?"

While Jareth stood mere inches from him in what could only be perceived as a threatening manner, Thanatos merely laced his arms together so both were hidden within his lustrous green robes. "You lack imagination, Goblin King. That is hardly something I would have expected. Very well then, if you must have it explained, then I shall oblige. Sarah will be collected, and she can no longer exist within her realm. The Underground, however, is an entirely different matter."

…

Time is a strange thing. It often can feel as if it is racing past you, but at other points each second seems to take forever. The truly curious thing about time was how it can choose to flow at dissimilar rates in different locations. Humans tend not to notice such shifts as they usually keep to their own realm. Save for the rare exceptions, that is. It had been weeks sense Sarah had spoken to Sir Didymus, but to him it had been only days.

"Ya mean ta tell me Sarah's alright?" Hoggle demanded while staring into the fox's one good eye.

In return Sir Didymus pounded his own puffed out chest. "Aye, M'Lady is quite well. She suffered the loss of a companion, but she has endeavored to…"

"What?" shouted Hoggle as he reached out to grab the knight's sleeve. "How da ya think that's alraht?"

Sir Didymus pulled his arm away with ease and moved out of reach within moments. "Sir Hoggle, I must insist that you restrain yourself until I have finished. As I was saying, Lady Sarah has lost a friend to the 'next world'. She was distraught at first, but since then M'Lady has much improved. "

"Sarah strong," added Ludo as he sat upon the ground and stared at several small pebbles in his hands.

"Precisely, Sir Ludo. M'Lady is strong, as my brother in arms can attest. Lady Sarah was even smiling when I bid her adieu."

Hoggle readjusted the leather piece atop his head. He couldn't argue with his friends. Sarah was strong. Even in the Labyrinth she had protected them as much as they had tried to protect her. "Them fairies ain't gonna spray themselves," he declared as he picked up his 'weapon of choice'. "Best be off ta work." With that he said goodbye to his friends before taking off. It wasn't home he was going to, though. No, instead he was going back to the mirror. It wasn't that he didn't trust Sir Didymus, but he had to see that Sarah was smiling again with his own eyes.

…

Sarah smiled as she stared at the suitcase and rolled up sleeping bag on her bed. It had been ages since she'd been camping, and with her latest novel completed and submitted she was free to enjoy it. When Toby had called and invited her on the family outing she hadn't hesitated, except to make sure that showers would still be available. She had grown to respect and appreciate her stepmother, but she'd be damned if she was going to listen to her complaining for an entire weekend about being covered in filth.

Grabbing her scant possessions, Sarah walked into the living room and gave Kim a smile. "Remember to take care of the place while I'm gone. Don't forget to water the plants like you did last time."

"For the record, I think that it was an improvement. Who keeps cacti in their house anyway?"

Sarah shook her head, "The real question is how anyone can kill 3 cacti within 2 weeks." Kim opened her mouth to answer, but Sarah interrupted, "No, don't answer that. I'm afraid to know. If I do then I might have to cancel this trip for fear of what you might do to my strawberry plant. " Smiling she gave a wink, "Thanks again, Kim." With that, Sarah swept out of her apartment and off toward her latest adventure with her family and the great outdoors.

…

Thank you for reading Chapter 3. I apologize for how long it took to complete, but having my wisdom teeth removed slowed me down a lot. I know that this was a little short, but I'm working hard to make sure that Chapter 4 will be longer and even better.

I'd also like to give special thanks to Lylabeth 1, LaurenvBelladonna, 7Scars, 15 for their reviews and input. They may not realize it, but what they've said is helping shape this story. Also, thank you to notwritten, the queen of water, emberlily and all of my readers. If it weren't for you, then I'd have no one to share this story with.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I still do not own Labyrinth or any of its characters. Apparently getting a flag and trying to claim the Labyrinth as your land doesn't work anymore. Go figure, flags used to be pretty good at that. While I don't own Jareth or the Labyrinth, Thanatos and the other original characters in this story are my own creations. *gives puppy dog eyes* That being said, please don't try to steal them away. Now, enough with the legal disclaimers. I hope you enjoy chapter four!

…

Sarah couldn't help but smile as she looked down at her tent. Toby and she had somehow managed to assemble the thing, but in the end she couldn't help but notice that the shelter in front of her looked nothing like the picture. Where it was supposed to be pulled tight, her tent sagged, and she didn't even want to try to figure out why the front of the tent seemed taller than the back. Still, it was at least something she and her little brother had accomplished together. Reaching over she gave him a small slap on the back and laughed, "Well, it won't win any beauty prizes. If it keeps the bears away that's good enough for me."

"You do realize that bears could rip that tent and you to shreds, right?" Looking down at her younger brother she couldn't help but smile. He was 10 years old, and already he was a smartass. She had to admit that he had grown up to be a cute kid. He was tall for his age and his shaggy brown hair always had that "straight out of bed" quality to it. Add the mischievous glint in his eyes and the "know-it-all" attitude, and he was the perfect example of a little terror. Still, she loved him, and he was her terror.

Pretending to yawn Sarah stretched before pulling Toby into a headlock and giving him a noogie. "Bears got nothing on me!" she howled triumphantly as she heard his protests. Finally, after Toby had struggled for awhile, she let him go before running off as quickly as she could. She may have been taller, but he was definitely quicker.

"Get back here!" Toby called as he reached up and tried to fix his hair. After three swipes of his hand his tresses looked more disheveled than ever, but he hardly noticed this as he took off after her. "You are so dead!"

Risking a glance over her shoulder Sarah saw that he was sprinting toward her. "Gotta catch me first, Pipsqueak," she hollered back as she began weaving through the trees and shrubs of the forest.

…

Slow shambles brought the female goblin outside. Squinting against the sun she twitched her donkey like ears and tried to balance the basket on her back. As proud as she had been of her hunchback, she couldn't help but curse how difficult it made tasks at times. Nothing she ever tried to carry on her backside ever seemed to wish to remain steady. It really made her wonder why she'd met so many goblins through the years that stuffed their clothes to make their own hunches larger. Even as she thought this, however, her thoughts were interrupted by a persistent chewing on her shoulder.

"Aihhh!" she hollered as she quickly released the strap in her right hand and swung the basket to her front-side. "Nah Belch, thar's na a point'in chompin'. We gotsta get to dah castle. I cahnt be playin' whicha all tha time."

"Gaaahh, goo," came the response from the little bundle in her arms. Her milky eyes met with the swamp green orbs of the baby goblin whose head was sticking out of the wicker contraption. He was growing into such a fine goblin that she couldn't help but be proud to call him her own. He was growing in his baby horns and one stuck out further than the other. Shriek knew he'd lose them in about 30 years to grow in his adult horns, but she couldn't imagine them being any more wonderful than his current set. Add in the purple-gray flesh that was covered in delicate scales and she knew he'd grow up to break hearts.

"Doncha , 'gaaah goo,' me, chyl. His Hurhness needs assistin', and even you gotsta pull yer weight." Even as she said this she couldn't help but chuckle. She wasn't kidding, though, Belch really was a help. He always made the work day more enjoyable, and he definitely knew how to make a mess goblin style (which was oh so in fashion this year). She was quickly pulled out of her musings, however, as she heard the grumbling of a familiar complainer and resident of the Labyrinth. "That you, Haggle?"

Looking up from through his bushy eyebrows came the cantankerous reply, "Ooh, it's Hoggle!"

Both Shriek and Belch laughed at the outburst. It seemed the old downer was still good for a laugh. "Nah nah, doncha go yellin that all dah time. Makes people wanna misprunance it all dah more. Nah get on whicha, we gotz important business at dah castle. Dah King sayz someone impertant be arrivin' soon."

Grimacing Hoggle grumbled through Shriek's words as he moved closer to get a look at Belch. Really, it was strange to ever let a goblin changeling out of the castle so soon. He'd been reaching out to tease little Belch when he suddenly heard what it was that Shriek had been saying. "Impertant person arrivin'? Who? Not like many be visitin' 'ere on purpose."

"Oh, just sum challenger returnin'. Prettay famous one, too. Lady… Lady… oh, wah was hur name?" Even as she struggled to remember Hoggle interrupted.

"Sarah?"

"Yep! That thur be dah one. Yur pretty smartz fer..." even as Shriek continued to talk she was cut off by the sharp cry of Hoggle after Belch bit his finger which had remained outstretched teasingly toward him. "Nah, Belch, careful. Ya nah be knowin' where Hagwart 'as been."

"It's Hoggle!" he hollered as he cradled his hand against him.

Shriek gently swung the basket back into place and cooed at Belch before starting off again. "Gotta run. Bye fer now, Haggletooth!"

This time Hoggle didn't even bother correcting her. Rather, he stood dumbfounded. First he'd learned Sarah was fine, save for her recent loss, and now he learned that she was returning to the Labyrinth? Something was wrong. She'd not told him any of this, and surely she would. Now, more than before, Hoggle began rushing off to get to the mirror. He wanted answers, and he wanted them now.

…

Jareth and Thanatos stood in the twilight between worlds as they each stared into the crystal orb that floated between them. It was nearly at hand, and, strained as it was, they had finally reached an understanding of civility between them.

"It's nearly time, Goblin King. From here there is no going back."

Smirking Jareth met his uncle's eyes with a cool confidence, "I am a man of action, and your words begin to bore me. Fulfill your end of the bargain and I will do the same."

"Then so shall it be," Thanatos replied in a cool baritone, but even as he spoke his words began to become more guttural. As his voice changed, so did he. His alabaster skin began to darken and his face became elongated. His robes stretched and writhed as his body contorted until they finally burst to expose a large black pelt beneath. Jareth's gaze never broke from the convulsing pile of flesh that was the Cu Sidhe. He'd heard the stories, but never had he been witness to the transformation. He was beginning to understand yet another reason why the courts had shunned Thanatos. Even the Unseelie courts had supposed standards. These thoughts were broken by three consecutive and sharp howls. As if the sound shattered temporary blindness, Jareth suddenly was able to see that the dark form had become a large black dog the size of a horse. Perhaps more interesting was the tail which was braided with flecks of green woven throughout.

"It seems you are still one for theatrics, Uncle."

There was no reply as the massive creature bounded off toward the human world. There was a collection of souls that he was owed, and he was going to collect.

Shaking his head Jareth snapped his finger only to watch the orb in front of him disappear. He could respect Thanatos' form, but the change left much to be desired. Not to be outdone he let go and felt his body become lighter as he disappeared and an owl emerged from the spot where he had stood only moments before. Large, mismatched eyes blinked as the owl swiveled its head toward the barrier before flying in the direction that the great beast had gone mere moments before.

…

"Gotcha!" Toby yelled as he jumped out to tackle Sarah. She was jolted by the impact, but somehow she remained standing as she grabbed the stitch in her side. Panting as she was she still had a defiant look in her eyes.

"Only because I let you win." Peeling is arms away from her she sat on the nearest large rock with all the grace of a stuck pig. "You know, you should try not to step on every twig when you're following someone. If I had really wanted to I could have hidden from you and you'd never have caught on."

Toby just shook his head as he lunged for her again, only this time he enthusiastically attacked her hair. "I have been avenged!" he whooped before letting out a victory cry.

"Come on, Toby," she said with a sigh as she reached up to try to make sense of her now mop of hair. She couldn't deny that she deserved it, though. "Whatever happened to the good old days when I could just beat you up and get away with it?"

Toby smiled from ear to ear as he snarkily replied, "Oh, you know. You're just getting so old nowadays. You can't be expected to keep up with the young crowd anymore. I mean, unless you want to race against me in your rascal."

Sarah glared at her little brother as he laughed at her expense. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up kiddo. When I finally get my second wind I'm going to put you in your place."

"Just go ahead and…"

Even as he was speaking, Toby was cut off. It wasn't by anyone in particular, but he could hear a strangled cry. "Do you hear that?"

Sarah stood up suddenly forgetting her own discomfort. "I do. Come on, sounds like it's coming from up ahead." With that, both Sarah and Toby began moving quickly toward the voice. Each step brought them closer and closer to the sound until they could finally tell that it was a yell for help. "Dammit. Come on." Both broke into a run as they crashed through the trees driven only by adrenaline and fear for what might be awaiting them.

When Toby and Sarah burst out of the tree line they found themselves on the bank of a river. Both were panting and covered in scrapes and cuts. Still, neither paid their own discomfort any mind. Instead both focused on the water that appeared to be calm. "What do you think it was, Sis?"

Sarah was about to reply that she didn't know, but before she could speak a hand shot out of the water followed shortly by a head that emerged screaming for help. Sarah was already kicking off her shoes when she yelled that she was coming. As she rushed toward the water she threw a glance back at Toby, "Go get Dad or anyone else you find! Call an ambulance if you can!"

Toby shot off like a rocket as Sarah dove into the water. The cool water seeped into her clothes, but she never felt the chill as she furiously stroked through the water. The victim had already sank back into the water, and judging by the bubbles emerging it was safe to say that little time remained. Sarah took a deep breath and allowed herself to swim below the water. She looked left and right and saw nothing save for sunken trees and the dark blue that was so thick it obscured her vision. Swimming deeper she continued to search. 'Where the hell are you?' she wondered.

Her lungs were beginning to burn with the need for fresh oxygen when she finally saw the man who she and Toby had seen in the water. He was about 3 yards away and seemed to no longer be fighting. Was he not breathing any longer? In spite of her own discomfort, she began to swim toward him and further into the thick blue. Just when she thought she could go no further she closed her eyes and felt her hand clasp his. Reaching further down she hooked her left arm around his body and below his arms as she desperately kicked upward. She knew she didn't have long, and her lungs were now screaming for air. All she could think was, 'Just a little more… just a little more.'

…

"Dad! Dad!" Even though he was still a ways from the camp Toby yelled for his father. He was worried about his sister and the swimmer. He already had regrets about leaving rather than staying to help. There was no time for that, however, and as he opened his mouth to yell again he stopped short as his father jogged into view.

"What is it, Toby? Where's…"

Toby grabbed his father's wrist and took off running back toward the river. At first his father resisted, but after he saw the terror in Toby's eyes he began to follow without further resistance. Eventually Toby released his grip, secure in the knowledge that his father would continue to follow him. "Sarah… there's," his voice struggled as he fought to breath and speak at once while he continued at breakneck speeds, "a swimmer. She's trying to save him. He's…" Toby ducked under a low branch and continued running as his legs trembled with the effort, "drowning. Sarah's trying to save him."

Their father's eyes widened as he listened to his son. Sarah was trying to save a drowning man? While he was proud of her for trying, he was instantly afraid for her. Before he could focus too much on this he and Toby found themselves coming through the tree line.

…

Sarah had just broken her own head above the water when she gasped for air. She desperately pulled at the drowning man until his own mouth was finally above water, though she couldn't tell if he was breathing yet. Attempting to gain her bearings she couldn't remember which side of the bank she had jumped from, so she began stroking toward her right as he was still grasped by her left arm. As she swam and began to breath another deep breath, however, she found her mouth filled with water as her head once again sunk. At first this made no sense, until she realized that the man was not only conscious again, but he was panicking. He began thrashing and grabbing at her in an attempt to remain above water. This only resulted in him inadvertently pulling both himself and her further into the depths.

Sarah attempted to break free of him to swim toward the surface alone, but found that the frightened fool only grasped her leg to pull her down in an attempt to pull himself up. She continued to fight, but once again felt her lungs burning. She didn't have long, and she knew it. She kicked down at him, though the unknown man latched on with the strength of a gorilla. Sarah tried so hard to fight the need for oxygen, but finally she could do so no longer. In spite of every survival instinct she had, she opened her mouth in a desperate attempt to breath. As the water filled her lungs she vaguely heard the voices of her father and brother and, far off, a dark howl.

…

Toby and his father quickly dove in after Sarah. Neither found much resistance as the man had finally released Sarah after he'd drown in his desperate and failed attempts to live. They swam toward shore, each trying to support her and keep her head above water. Finally, they managed to drag her onto land as her father leaned down to listen to her heart. There was nothing there.

Tears streamed down their father's face as he positioned her neck before reaching down to pinch her nose and breath into Sarah. No reaction. Immediately he moved his hands to the middle of her chest and began pushing as he counted, "1, 2, 3, 4," he continued counting as he pushed and occasionally stopped to breathe into her.

Toby could only watch in horror at the scene before him. This was his sister. His big, annoying, crazy sister that he loved so dearly. He wailed and urged his father to save her. It was only when several minutes had passed that his father stopped. "NO! Dad, you've got to…" but his words stopped when he saw the look in his father's eyes. "No… no!"

Suddenly their father looked years older than he truly was. He could barely speak, but somehow he managed to whisper, "She's gone. Sarah is gone." Each became so blinded by their own grief in that instant, that they failed to notice the barn owl flying overhead or the massive black dog pawing back into the woods.

…

There was a strange and fleeting feeling that came with death. Your body shut down, but your brain continued to think for a brief few seconds that felt like ages. Time continued to flow, but in no sensible order. It was all somewhat like in a dream. Sarah could hear the cries of her father and Toby and wished desperately to comfort them. She tried to, but she simply couldn't focus. Everything was beginning to go even darker. Just as she prepared herself to slip into blackness she felt a jolt.

Where she had felt herself slipping away, she now began to feel herself rising once again. Air could be felt brushing across her face and all at once filled her lungs again. She moved to cough up water, but none emerged. Reaching up she attempted to sooth her throat as her eyes fluttered open. She could vaguely see the outline of a person and desperately rolled herself further into them before latching on. Sarah wanted to thank heaven she was alive, to say how afraid she'd been and how happy she was. All these thoughts flew away as she heard another scream. Her eyes instantly came to focus as she saw a large black dog dangling the man she'd tried to save from its mouth. The man screamed for her help once again, but this time Sarah made no move to do so as she watched the dog begin to walk away into the dark fog that surrounded them.

Sarah opened her mouth to speak several times, but it was only after several minutes that she finally managed to ask where she was. "You are in between two worlds, Dear Sarah, and you must make a choice."

Blinking she looked up at the figure she'd been grasping onto so desperately. Her vision continued to blur, but when she finally could focus she was met with a mysterious pair of mismatched eyes. Slowly, the rest began to fill in. "Goblin King?" she asked, though she never let go of him.

"Yes, though you may call me Jareth. Now, we have much to discuss."

…

Thank you all for reading chapter 4 and for being so patient with me. I do apologize for the long delay between posts. I'd attempt to explain, but I would rather not bore anyone with my real life. Suffice to say, things are finally in a state that allows me to once again focus on writing for fun. I only hope that you all have enjoyed reading this half as much as I've enjoyed writing it. It was emotional to write this death scene, but I hope I did it justice. I assure you from here the story really picks up, and we get to see Jareth and Sarah interact far more.

I'd also like to take a moment to thank LaurenvBelladonna, Feyfaerie, PyrusAngel, and Taria Robotnik for reviewing chapter 3. I admit to making mistakes and sometimes going off course with my writing, but all of you help keep me in check (which I admit to needing now and again). Also, thank you to all of you who have favorited this story or added it to your alert list. If it weren't for all of you then I'd have no reason to continue with this story.


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